This Week In Island History

The news of 10 and 15 years ago is from the Jamestown Press. The news of 100 years ago came from the collection of the Newport Historical Society.

100 years ago

From the Newport Journal, Sept. 19, 1913

The Jamestown school garden exhibit was held in the Town Hall Saturday afternoon. This is the first year the schools have taken up this work and the children made a fine showing of vegetables and flowers. The committee feels fully repaid for all the work done and much pleased with the way the children have maintained their interest in the gardens.

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union held its first meeting of the season in the hall of the Gardner House.

75 years ago

From the Newport Daily News, Sept. 20, 1938

The final meeting of the season of the Jamestown Historical Society was held Monday afternoon at its rooms in the St. Matthew’s parish hall. A letter was read from Mrs. Harry Garnett who purchased the Shoreby Hill casino two years ago, offering to sell the ballroom to the society. The motion was tabled. Owing to the stormy weather, the annual pilgrimage to the old mill was postponed.

From the Newport Daily News, Sept. 22, 1938

Nine persons, including seven children, lost their lives and widespread damage was done in Jamestown as the storm swept across the island with terrific fury Wednesday afternoon and night.

Today telephone communication with the island was established, but ferryboats Governor Carr and Beavertail were blown ashore, and the residents were marooned as far as ferry connections were concerned.

The waterfront was almost completely wiped out, with the ferry landing badly damaged by the fury of the storm. The White Nook restaurant was blown across the street, Alfred Richardson’s garage was blown away, the Newport Coal Company office was tossed over, and numerous buildings had roofs blown off and were otherwise damaged, while hundreds of trees were torn up by the roots. The beach pavilion was washed away, and all over the island there was evidence of the storm today. The water had gone as high as Charles Hayward’s store at Ferry Wharf.

50 years ago

From the Newport Daily News,

Sept. 18, 1963

A former Jamestown resident, Mrs. Elton McWilliams, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank West, arrived there yesterday with a palomino horse that she had brought by trailer in a seven-day motor trip from her ranch in Billings, Mont.

From the Newport Daily News,

Sept. 19, 1963

John Biddle of Wayne, Pa., showed his yachting film, “A Tale of Three Cities,” to members of the Newport Historical Society at a special meeting last night.

25 years ago

From the Newport Daily News,

Sept. 16, 1988

At a meeting Wednesday with state and Indian officials, the only thing the School Committee learned was that the exact size of the Narragansett Indian burial ground behind the school was still unknown. That means that the proposed $3.2 million school addition cannot go out to bid until November at the earliest. The project was supposed to have been started earlier this summer and two much-needed junior high school classrooms were to have been completed by November.

From the Newport Daily News,

Sept. 20, 1988

The Town Council will consider an ordinance to regulate privately owned septic systems, possibly as early as next month.

15 years ago

From the Jamestown Press,

Sept. 17, 1998

The next meeting of the Jamestown Village Association will feature a discussion on the pros and cons of becoming an actual Chamber of Commerce.

The Conanicut Island Land Trust’s Heyday will feature the newly acquired Godena Farm as the centerpiece of the event to be held on Saturday, Sept. 26.

10 years ago

From the Jamestown Press,

Sept. 18, 2003

There’s a busy weekend planned in Jamestown and event organizers as well as homeowners and boat owners have been watching closely to see where Hurricane Isabel will go on its Atlantic journey.

Now that Hurricane Isabel has plodded a more westerly course, which is likely to give the island only a wet and windy day tomorrow, organizers of the 325th birthday celebration have decided not to reschedule the events planned for this weekend.